Can you believe it’s May already? Less than a month ago we were out in Colorado, breathing in the fresh mountain air and carving up Loveland Pass and Copper Mountain and now it’s 80 degrees out and the itch is back.

What itch you ask? Well, I do have a minor rash, but that’s not the itch I need to scratch. I’m talking about the itch to get out to the ocean. It’s been almost 9 months since the last session (some of us don’t live in CA or FL).

As we’re gearing up to hop in the car and hit the beach, we have to remember to be responsible amidst all of the excitement. The last thing you want on the way to your first session of the season is your board flying off the top of the car rooftop and into some poor schmuck’s windshield.

So, in honor of that Schmuck, here are the 3 Best Vehicle Racks for getting your board(s) to the beach this summer:

1. Huntington Surfer Gutterless Rack

The Surfer Rack by Huntington is by far one of the best sellers here at Rack Your Board- and for good reason. Measuring 50” across, the rack fit’s perfectly to most car rooftops. Built-in adjustable rubber straps makes it easy to secure your board safe and quickly when you’re rushing out to a swell and the rack is pre-equipped with soft rack pads so there’s no unexpected scratched on your baby.

The best part is, this rack comes in at under $100. Compared to the big boys like Thule or Yamaha, this is a steal, saving you hundreds of dollars you’d otherwise be wasting for a foreign brand name's surf and sup racks for cars Huntington is a U.S.A company based in, you guessed it, California. Not Sweden or Japan.

2. Ocean and Earth Rap Rax

For those who don’t want to keep a rooftop rack on long-term, look no further then this sweet Wrap system from Ocean and Earth. This rack can be installed in just a few minutes, and is secured by wrapping the two stability cords through the inside of your car.

Complete with built in, adjustable straps, these racks can hold anywhere from 1-4 boards and are best when driving short distances to the the beach. The best part of this rack is something that other’s like it simply haven’t figured out yet.

The guys over at O&E produce this rack with twist webbing straps which prevent the wind generated humming noise that’s so common when driving down the road with racks of this style. On top of this, the straps are UV treated so they won’t fade out and wear after a few months. This is one of our favorite surfboard racks for suv.

3. Steel core Tailgate Surfboard/SUP Rack

If you drive a truck, chances are you’re used to just throwing your board in the bed and cruising down to the beach. Some of us have learned the hard way that an insecure board can even make a grown man cry. That's why surf racks for trucks were invented- to dry our tears.

Cue the Steel Core Tailgate Rack. With a pad measuring 30” across, this rack is big enough to hold any surfboard or SUP securely in your truck bed. Unlike other tailgate racks, this one has a key locking buckle to keep your board safe from any opportunists in the Grocery Store parking lot.

You may be thinking: “Well, anyone with a knife could just come along and cut the straps pretty easily and steal my board”. A pretty rational thing to be worried about normally, but again, this rack is different. The straps are lined with Steel and are CUT-RESISTANT. So, if some asshole tries to steal your baby, he’ll either give up, or be caught in the act.

So when rushing out to the first swell this summer, make sure your board is secure. For the sake of other drivers, for the sake of your board, and for the sake of having a great time without any unexpected “incidents”.